UNISON budget response

“This budget is not a road to recovery but a Road to Nowhere – No jobs, No growth, No idea.”

This is the damning verdict of UNISON chief Dave Prentis on George Osborne’s budget today (21 March).

The union accused the Chancellor of sucking demand out of the economy and reverting to the same old Tory tactics, of promising tax cuts just before the next election.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said: “The Chancellor’s budget has given a helping hand-out to his rich friends in the City and delivered a slap in the face to the unemployed and low paid families.

“Osborne should be delivering policies to get the 2.67m unemployed people back into work and economically active. Instead, the Government’s cuts agenda is making the situation worse by adding to those numbers month by month.

“Since the coalition came to power, we have seen 625 public sector workers joining the dole queues every single day, bringing misery to hundreds of thousands of families.

“Far from encouraging economic growth, the Chancellors’ policies are sucking demand out of the economy. Public sector workers are being hit with a pay freeze again this year and now the Government are proposing local pay which mean £1.7bn would be lost from the economy. Taking money out of the pockets of hard working people will starve local shops, cafes and businesses out of much needed revenue sending the economy further downwards.

“The Chancellor’s budget gives with one hand and takes with the other. The increase in the personal allowance will help those who are working – but offers no relief for the unemployed. And we know that the Government has already announced cuts to tax credits which hits hundreds of thousands of working families with children.

“Osborne’s budget flies the Tories true blue colours, but is a missed opportunity to restore desperately needed jobs and growth to the economy.”